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"HOUSE OF D" (2005) (Anton Yelchin, Robin Williams) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Mild None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Moderate Heavy Moderate *Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: A teenage boy must deal with various unexpected developments in his life as he grows up in 1970s era Greenwich Village. PLOT: Tom Warshaw (DAVID DUCHOVNY) is an American artist living in contemporary Paris with his wife, Coralie (MAGALI AMADEI) and son, Odell (HAROLD CARTIER), who's just turning 13. That milestone brings back both good and bad memories for Tom and he decides to tell his family about the pivotal events of his past that changed him forever. The year is 1973 and Tommy (ANTON YELCHIN) lives in New York's Greenwich Village with his mom (TÉA LEONI). She hasn't been the same since the death of Tommy's father and is now overly protective of him when not depressed. He goes to a Catholic school run by Rev. Duncan (FRANK LANGELLA) where he likes to hang out with the middle-aged and mentally challenged assistant custodian, Pappass (ROBIN WILLIAMS). The two are not only friends, but also coworkers employed by Simone (OLGA SOSNOVSKA) delivering meats from the corner butcher shop to various nearby homes. Their friendship has become a bit strained of recent, however, since Pappas is jealous of Tommy's interest in girls, especially Melissa (ZELDA WILLIAMS). Unsure of how to act around her, Tommy finds an unlikely mentor in Lady Bernadette (ERYKAH BADU), a prostitute imprisoned in the Village's House of Detention. Only able to see him via a mirror she holds out the window, Bernadette gives Tommy all sorts of advice about his life and relationship with others in it. When an unexpected tragedy then strikes, Tommy must figure out what to do next, a decision that will affect the rest of his life. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual and drug references, thematic elements and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANTON YELCHIN plays a 13-year-old kid who's thrust into unexpected adult situations following his father's untimely death and another later tragedy. He goofs around with Pappass, holds down a job and finds himself drawn to Melissa with whom he makes out. He also uses some profanity. TÉA LEONI plays his depressed mom who wants the best for her boy, but has become over protective and too dependent on him. She smokes and takes various sedatives. DAVID DUCHOVNY plays the adult version of Tommy who feels the need to tell his family about his troubled past. ROBIN WILLIAMS plays Tommy's mentally challenged and middle-age friend and coworker, a nice guy who isn't always able to think things through and thus does and says things he shouldn't. He uses some profanity and steals a bike he wants, but also manages to give profound advice to his friend. ERYKAH BADU plays an incarcerated prostitute who initially wants Tommy to buy her some pot, but then becomes something of a sounding board and then unlikely mentor for him and his various troubles. She smokes and uses some profanity. FRANK LANGELLA plays the Catholic school instructor who must deal with Tommy, Pappass and the theft of a bicycle. ZELDA WILLIAMS plays the young girl who Tommy likes and she makes out with him. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a quick look at the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 7 "s" words, while a benign word is pronounced to sound like the "f" word. Other expletives and colorful phrases are present, as are various instances of sexually related dialogue. A woman makes a sexually symbolic gesture toward a 13-year-old and his older friend, while a young teenage boy and girl make out and are later seen (clothed) in the "spoons" position on her bed. Various characters drink or smoke, while a woman uses sedatives and eventually overdoses on them (and is then brain dead from that). There's a related mercy killing that's one part of various other tense family material moments (that includes deaths or the talk thereof of parents, including from cancer). Other thematic elements (including that regarding the mentally challenged and others' treatment of them) are present. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while all sorts of potentially imitative behavior occurs. Some windows are broken (purposefully and accidentally), other brief physical contact occurs and some bodily related material (urination) is present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Tom's wife asks if he's drunk and he says he's not, but is just talkative. Pappass' father drinks from a brown paper bag, and Tommy says that his late wife drank because she was married to him. We occasionally see Tommy counting his mom's sedative pills. Bernadette asks Tommy to "score me a dime bag of weed." He never does, although she asks about it several times. Tommy counts his mom's sedatives and realizes she's taken three (and she's acting loopy as she lies down and goes to sleep). Tommy is awakened when his mom's hand drops down near him, holding a bottle of her sedatives and some of the pills drop to the floor. He quickly calls the operator for help. Pappass drinks from a brown paper bag. BLOOD/GORE Mrs. Warshaw walks into the bathroom as Tommy is showering, pulls down her panties beneath her dress and sits on the toilet (no nudity for either). We see Tommy's urine stream as he "shoots" cigarette butts in the water. We see this again in a later scene. We see a dog urinating on Tommy and Pappass' delivery cart. We see a dog urinating on an awning post. Bernadette tosses her mirror down from her prison cell, with a piece of it cutting Tommy's face (he has a tiny bit of blood on his cheek). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Various people use the term "retard" and "retarded" when referring to Pappass. Pappass' father says that Pappass' mother killed herself because she had a retarded son (and says this in front of Pappass). Someone jokes that Tommy doesn't like girls, "he likes his own hand." When he's teased about liking Melissa, he states that she's flat (chested), with one boy then joking, "Flat as a board and easy to screw." Pappass throws a large lemon through a plate glass window, shattering the latter, and steals the bike on display there. Pappass takes his and Tommy's hidden money and then tosses it all into the river while making a wish. Mrs. Warshaw is upset with Tommy about lying to her (about going to a dance rather than work as he told her). Spoiler Alert: Tommy discovers that his mom has overdosed on sedatives and is now brain dead in the hospital (with her distant relatives showing up at their house to care for Tommy, much to his dismay). Accordingly, he returns to the hospital, removes her oxygen mask and unplugs all of the equipment keeping her body alive (some viewers might see that as having a bad attitude, while others may not). Despondent and desperate, Tommy takes money from one of his senile clients who thinks he's her son. Pappass, trying to act like a dad, calls an unhelpful airline clerk a "retard." FRIGHTENING SCENES Spoiler Alert: Tommy is awakened when his mom's hand drops down near him, holding a bottle of her sedatives and some of the pills drop to the floor. He quickly calls the operator for help as he realizes she has overdosed on sedatives. We later learn that she's now brain dead in the hospital (with her distant relatives showing up at their house to care for Tommy, much to his dismay). Accordingly, he returns to the hospital, removes her oxygen mask and unplugs all of the equipment keeping her body alive. He then hides under her hospital bed as staff rush in and try to save her. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "No sh*t Sherlock," "That's bullsh*t," "The sh*t hit the fan," "No t*tty, no t*tty at all," "Retards," "Retarded," "Pap-ass" (for Pappass), "Thom-ass" (for Thomas), "Horn dog," "You loser," "Up yours," "Fat ass," "Knucklehead," "You little creeps," "Losers," "Flat as a board and easy to screw," "Piss away," "Pissed off," "Bitching you out," "Shut up," "Mom-ass," "Who the hell are you?" "Bitch" (place), "What in the Sam Hill is going on here?" "Not a total jackass," "Screwed" (nonsexual) and "Get a life." Pappass and Tommy ride by and throw a glop of wet paper onto the back of a man's head (as a practical joke). Tommy and Pappass do various "I.P. Freely" type jokes (such as "Yellow River by I.P. Freely"). Tommy and Pappass press their mouths against a large plate glass window and blow against it, thus making their mouths and cheeks appear to be huge. Tommy states that he and his friends tried to get their French teacher (with a heavy French accent and somewhat limited knowledge of the English vocabulary) to say "dirty words" by making her say things in French that sound like dirty English words. One such word sounds like "boner" in English and thus is said many times, such as when Tommy jokes that he has a "magnificent boner." When she says the word means "happiness," the boys joke and spread the word's pronunciation so that they're saying "penis." When she says "focus," it sounds like "f*ck us" to them, and they laugh when it sounds like she says "Just f*ck us and give me the boner." Tommy and other students ball up paper and throw it out their class window to Pappass who they know is seated down below them. Some girls (friends of Melissa's) taunt Tommy, repeatedly saying that he has "small balls" (in response to him saying she was flat-chested). A man gives Tommy a small pad of paper with drawings of a woman in a bikini on them that, when flipped in succession, makes her move around in an animated fashion. Pappass lets out a loud belch. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 7 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("screw"), 2 for breasts ("t*tty"), 12 asses, 2 damns, 1 hell, 1 incomplete "Son of a..." and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "Jesus." Tommy states that he and his friends tried to get their French teacher (with a heavy French accent and somewhat limited knowledge of the English vocabulary) to say "dirty words" by making her say things in French that sound like dirty English words. One such word sounds like "boner" in English and thus is said many times, such as when Tommy jokes that he has a "magnificent boner." When she says the word means "happiness," the boys joke and spread the word's pronunciation so that they're saying "penis." When she says "focus," it sounds like "f*ck us" to them, and they laugh when it sounds like she says "Just f*ck us and give me the boner." SEX/NUDITY We see Tommy doing a comical Richard Nixon impression, just in his boxers with his shirt stuffed down the front of them to create a comical bulge there. The camera focuses in tight on Simone's cleavage and then does so again. When she spots Pappass, she states, "And the retarded one still has an erection" (he's clothed). The butcher then jokes that it's like a bratwurst that they could sell by the pound. A woman suggestively asks Tommy and Pappass (her delivery boys) if they need a tip, opening her small coin purse right in front of her crotch (to represent a certain part of her anatomy). She then suggestively lifts one leg and the camera shoots between her legs to show Tommy and Pappass' look of amazement. Tommy states that he and his friends tried to get their French teacher (with a heavy French accent and somewhat limited knowledge of the English vocabulary) to say "dirty words" by making her say things in French that sound like dirty English words. One such word sounds like "boner" in English and thus is said many times, such as when Tommy jokes that he has a "magnificent boner." When she says the word means "happiness," the boys joke and spread the word's pronunciation so that they're saying "penis." When she says "focus," it sounds like "f*ck us" to them, and they laugh when it sounds like she says "Just f*ck us and give me the boner." Someone jokes that Tommy doesn't like girls, "he likes his own hand." When he's teased about liking Melissa, he states that she's flat (chested), with one boy then joking, "Flat as a board and easy to screw." A priest comments on a Bible passage being about "bringing them out so that we can have sex with them." Some girls (friends of Melissa's) taunt Tommy, repeatedly saying that he has "small balls" (in response to him saying she was flat-chested). The scene then switches to Tommy's home where we see two Brussel sprouts on his plate. Tommy tells Bernadette that he heard that rats, roaches and lesbianism run rampant in the prison (she says she doesn't have to worry about the latter since she's in solitary confinement). When Tommy complains to Bernadette that the girls were teasing him of having "small balls," she says she likes small ones since the big ones get in the way and bang into everything. A man gives Tommy a small pad of paper with drawings of a woman in a bikini on them that, when flipped in succession, makes her move around in an animated fashion. Mrs. Warshaw later finds this, is mad, and flushes it down the toilet. Tommy tries to apologize for his earlier flat-chested comment about Melissa, telling her she looks nice when viewed in profile (although Pappass chimes in "No t*tty, no t*tty at all" and that he's seen lemons that are bigger). Tommy then adds that he has "small balls," adding, "That's good, right?" She says she doesn't know, followed by Pappass stating that he has a large penis. Tommy and Melissa make out in the meat locker at the store after hours. We briefly see a couple kissing inside a horse drawn carriage. We see Tommy in the spoons position with Melissa on her bed (both are clothed and asleep). We briefly see Tom with just a towel around him while he shaves. Pappass comments to Tom's 13-year-old son about people changing, and brings up "like the hair down there" (referring to the boy's unseen pubic hair). Tommy and Pappass make more pronunciation jokes about "boner" like was done above. SMOKING Mrs. Warshaw smokes at least 5 times (several in flashback), Tom, Simone, and a pimp smoke several times, while Bernadette and Tom's wife each smoke at least once, and some miscellaneous characters smoke. We see Tommy's urine stream as he "shoots" cigarette butts in the water. We see this again in a later scene. We see cigarette butts in an ashtray. Tommy saves some of his mom's cigarette butts from the toilet. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Tommy's dad died a year earlier from cancer. Tommy then states that his mom sometimes cried herself to sleep and sometimes just cried. Pappass' father says that Pappass' mother killed herself because she had a retarded son (and says this in front of Pappass). There's some tension between Tommy and his mom over his scholarship at the school. Mrs. Warshaw is upset with Tommy about lying to her (about going to a dance rather than work as he told her). Spoiler Alert: Tommy discovers that his mom has overdosed on sedatives and is now brain dead in the hospital (with her distant relatives showing up at their house to care for Tommy, much to his dismay). Accordingly, he returns to the hospital, removes her oxygen mask and unplugs all of the equipment keeping her body alive. He then hides under her hospital bed as staff rush in and try to save her. Pappass tells Tom that his dad died sometime ago of cancer, but turned out to be nice when the hard parts of him had been eaten away. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT We hear that Tommy's dad died a year earlier from cancer. Tommy then states that his mom sometimes cried herself to sleep and sometimes just cried. Various people use the term "retard" and "retarded" when referring to Pappass. How descriptive terms for the mentally challenged were once "handicapped and before that "retarded." We occasionally see Tommy counting his mom's sedative pills and later discovers that she's overdosed on them. Tommy takes the blame for Pappass stealing a bike, and then for supposedly ordering Pappass to steal it for him (he lets others think this to save Pappass' job). Bernadette tells Tommy that she murdered her husband, but we later learn that was just a lie to scare him away. Pappass tells Tom that his dad died sometime ago of cancer, but turned out to be nice when the hard parts of him had been eaten away. VIOLENCE Pappass and Tommy ride by and throw a glop of wet paper onto the back of a man's head (as a practical joke). While trying to impress a girl, Tommy gets hit in the head with a pitched baseball (but is okay). When Pappass then steps up to bat, he hits a long fly that breaks a person's window across the way. Pappass throws a large lemon through a plate glass window, shattering the latter, and steals the bike on display there. Pappass pushes Tommy backwards. Spoiler Alert: Tommy discovers that his mom has overdosed on sedatives and is now brain dead in the hospital (with her distant relatives showing up at their house to care for Tommy, much to his dismay). Accordingly, he returns to the hospital, removes her oxygen mask and unplugs all of the equipment keeping her body alive (some viewers will see that as murder, while others may not). Bernadette tosses her mirror down from her prison cell, with a piece of it cutting Tommy's face (he has a tiny bit of blood on his cheek). Reviewed March 16, 2005 / Posted April 29, 2005

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